Have you ever wondered what can happen during anesthesia?
A lot of things in life are downright scary, and anesthesia is definitely one of them! That’s why the question from above stands tall: how often do you think what’s happening to our brains and bodies during a surgical procedure where we need anesthesia?
Although it may sound scary, besides a deep sleep, are there other things that happen during anesthesia? We’ve talked to a few anesthesiologists, and we found out some interesting things that will make you say “woah” throughout the entire read. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
In 3, 2, 1, take a deep breath because we’re about to start with the number one “symptom.”
Your brain will reset itself
Now that the surgery is over and the anesthetic effects are long gone, you may begin your recuperation. What helps you wake up? Though, it’s more like your brain hitting the restart button than simply waking up.
According to research, your brain doesn’t begin conscious activity uniformly throughout your entire brain; rather, it starts in small clusters or clumps.
Instead, because it is attempting to find out how everything links once more, the brain begins to function little by bit, moving between regions. Everything is being fired and followed to see where it goes, and finally, you become conscious.
According to studies, the brain may even momentarily return to a more evolutionarily basic condition during this reboot process, but don’t fret! You will be back to normal in a matter of hours.
47 Responses
My experience after open heart surgery was that I remained unconscious for almost 2 days. It was declared that I suffered a stroke and would be partially paralyzed on the left side if I did recover. I awakened and had no ill effects. The neurologist had never taken any tests and was totally wrong to make that diagnosis causing my family pain and anguish.
Unfortunately, I was one of those patients who woke up but my body was still asleep… The neurological connection from the brain apparently took a long hot minute to finally connect for my body to start working again. Rather frightening feeling realizing I was in a comatose state but fully awake unable to move any part of my body. The information in this article was very helpful for me to connect all the dots. Can anesthesia do harm to your brain?
Hi. Your experience is the first I ever heard of that was so similar to what I experienced in 1983. After an emergency complete hysterectomy, my mind woke up as it should, but my body did not for nine days. Eventually I was on life support, but during the 8th day my (Catholic Practicing) Parents had a Hospital Chaplain give me my ‘last rights’. Hearing that did not scare me at all, because I honestly already felt like I was dying. Sometime during the 9th day though, my systems started to wake up. It was determined that what happened was I had woke up during surgery and I had to be given more anesthesia to put me under and keep me under. It was too much. In 1996 it was medically proven to me that Natural Redheads have a gene mutation that makes us need more anesthesia to stay under than non redheads. That gene mutation also makes me feel pain 20% more intensly than non redheads too. During a near seven hour surgery (cancer) in 2017, my incredibly surgical team respected those specifics very much. But, STILL there were complications. I wish you the best Janet.
I remember the effect of the small quantity of Fentanyl I was injected. 5 minutes before the anaesthesia. This chemical happiness made me understand why people get willingly addicted. Sure, these were better moments than when I woke up with some real pain and a small portion of my body gone.
There is also a possibility during the brain “reset” that patients come out “changed” or different. Rod Steiger, a famous actor known for his role in the movie”In The Heat Of The Night”, alleged that he was no longer the same person after anesthesia. Be that as it may, I have a brother-in-law who swears that his father somehow went from a stern, serious and stoic man to a gadfly and somewhat clownish guy after a heart procedure. My brother-in-law grilled me about my heart procedure and noted that I didn’t seem to change at all while his father was now a different person. I had seen Rod Steiger in an interview and didn’t put much thought into it until my brother-in-law complained about his father.
there is also the, becoming more well documented, phenome of personality changes after organ transplant, especially heart transplant
Quite interesting…
While under general anesthesia for a deviated septum, I woke up mid surgery, listening to the doctor and nurses. I then spoke, asking a question not related to the surgery, and then they put me back under. There was no pain either. It wasn’t discussed afterward.
I’ve had some emergency surgeries that saved my life. I was fine. Mostly, I think I scared the doctor, but he only lost it after he finished his calm objective excellent surgery. Interestingly right before going into surgery I told the doctor I was confident he would save me and he said “Let’s go save your life”—so I think this is a great attitude, because the mind affects the body and the outcome of surgery is always better if all concerned expect a positive outcome.
Helpful information and educational
Thank you so much.
YOU ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF IT AND SLEEPING AND RESTING OUT OF CONTROL AND IN SLEEPING SOMBERLY AT THE HANDS OF THE DRS. AND ANESTHETICS AND PROFONAL AND DRUGGED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE DR. AND THE MED TEAM AND YOU HOPE AND PRAY YOU WAKE UP AND ACHIEVE NOTHING TO REMEMBER AND THE PAIN WILL BE LESS WE ALL PRAY AND THAT IS WHAT I CAN BE GROGGY AND OUT OF IT AND WAIT TILL THE FEELING SUBSIDES BEFORE LEAVING BY LAW SO THE HOSP STAFF ARE PERMITTED TO LET YOU LEAVE BY RIGHTS
I have been put under several times and have never had a bad effect, thank the Lord. I’ve had ether as well as more recent types of antesethics.
Years before I married my wife who was a surgical RN I told her I loved her during the time they started the anesthesia. I guess the body knows LOL!!
People with dementia/alzhiemers will lose brain functioning on a permanent basis.
This is a hazard that I have never seen or heard of being part of the pre-surgery discussions.
Killing cells in your brain should be the paramount concern for anybody who is considering a surgery for themselves or a loved one.
1985
Getting 4 impacted wisdom teeth out.
It was my 5th year in the U.S.AIRFORCE.
The dental sergen was a 2nd Lt. This was her 2nd removal of impacted wisdom teeth!!! I was in the chair and anesthesia was done I was out cold!!!
2 teeth removed and I woke up. Trying to tell everyone in the room I was awake. With. Tools an cotten in my mouth. The young Lt sergen’s eyes went very wide and I looked her rite in the eyes. They pushed more liquid into I.v. in my arm. After all 4 were out I was awake & the young officer asked if I remembered anything during the procedure. I told her I woke up yelled and looked her rite in the eyes. She told me it happens some times but no danger and I should not be able to remember anything. Ha news for all I remember her eyes as large as wheel hub on an A10A wheel.
Your story resonates with me. I was USAF at WPAFB, OH, and the dentist prettty much pressured me into having all 4 WT removed. They were not a problem, . . . yet. It was intravenous Darvon that did the anesthetics. I remember hearing a little “pop” when each tooth came out, but no pain.
Then, I had to spend 2 days in a hospital ward to make sure my recovery was good. But, it was a large ward and I was assigned to a bed next to a man who had had brain surgery and he moaned and groaned all the time.
Otherwise, USAF Medical Care was good, except when a PA diagnosed my splitting migraine headache as a sinus headache probably from allergy. Not!
I had Basal Cell Carcinoma surgery in my right ear in early April. For that one I only had a very local anesthetic. A week later I had reconstructive surgery with a full anesthetic. The only thing I noticed was that my throat and lips were extremely dry. The right side of my face was swollen and for a very short time I couldn’t clearly see out of my right eye. This was all expected, so it was no surprise. But I was uncomfortable since I couldn’t have a bowel movement for several days. Once everything started to work, then I am now in the process of letting it heal. I did not experience any of the symptoms described in the previous article. I was awake, then not awake, and then awake again. I don’t remember anything from the time I went under until I woke up again. They gave me several days supply of Oxycodone, but I had to stop taking my tramadol, that I take for arthritis. So everything is now beginning to heal. The ear, well the outside part is gone, but I also knew that. The tumor was so large that they couldn’t recreate anything resembling a normal ear. At almost 74, that is the least of my problems. I hate hats and always have, but I will have to get used to wearing them outside. All in all everything went fine.
I was pregnant and went for a scheduled OB visit when I had to be admitted on an emergency basis. I then had an emergency c-section. When I was awakened I could not breathe and thought I was drowning. The article says if your stomach isn’t empty before anesthesia you can have breathing problems. It’s very possible I ate before my OB visit since I was not expecting to deliver that day but if I recall correctly I remember the Dr. saying I had a collapsed lung. This was 30 yrs ago.
Interesting….
Very interesting. Thank you.
I opted for twilight sleep for both my total one replacements ! no Anesthesia woke up both times near end of surgery and said give me some more juice . woke up immediately after surgeries feeling not at all groggy and weird . Dr advised great for older folks and no headaches or ill feelings
What happens if your in your 70’s and 80’s? Are there times you should not get general anesthesia?
Can or does a man have an erection when he is under anesthesia ? why I ask ? i believe i did…
Thanks
Nothing mentioned about the reduction of oxygen going to the brain or possible effects in might have.
Great info. Thanks. God bless.
If one is 79 years old and because the first surgery was done wrong and one had to go under anesthesia again for correction, and it was only two months later, could this cause memory loss, or even dementia, and could the dementia be permanent ?
I had so many surgeries under anesthesia…. 3 C-sections, 2 Carpal Tunnels, another to fix an adhesion, and several bone reconstruction after a car accident. I heard the doctors talking about moving organs, their comments, but I was also in another world, saw and talked to my grandmother who passed away and other people I did not recognize. I also saw
people eating n the hospital cafeteria.
This was a great feeling! Like falling into space,ofr floating in warm water!
Never. I trusted my doctors. Had them for years. If I had to go I guess this would be the way! had any
I woke up in the middle of a C Section being performed, reached up and unconsciously pulled the tube out of my mouth. I hear this is an extremely rare event. However I have a younger sibling {male} under go surgery and 24 minutes in he woke up .. must be something in our genetics according to research.
I have had anesthesia several times! 100, 99, 98 – lites out! Never experienced any of the above! maybe I did and didn’t even realize it! this was interesting read though
My daughter has been anesthesiologist for 17 years and my mother in law as well. Both say very rewarding career. Very interesting article
I woke up during a procedure to check my esophagus. The Dr and nurse were yelling at me because I was fighting the tube going down my throat. I was scared and unable to move or tell them I was awake and they were yelling at me 😡 This was not my first procedure like this but I knew enough to know yelling at a patient that is supposed to be unconscious is just mean! The second procedure with the same Dr was just as unpleasant. He was supposed to be a good Dr. But he didn’t realize I had done my research and knew he had lied to me. I didn’t say anything to him right then as he was doing at least 25 or more procedures at the same place so I knew he had little time to discuss what he had said to me. He never called me or tried to schedule me for another appointment because he knew he had not diagnosed my issue. So I went online and gave him a bad review. My two experiences with this man were so unpleasant I had enough of his so called practicing medicine on me. He was not a compassionate person and failed to discuss either incident with me. That rates as failure to help me.
“Anesthesia” comes from Latin “an-“ (without) and “-thesia” (feeling, or sensation). A basic tenant of Medicine is “use the smallest does of a drug to achieve the needed result”. If an anesthesiologist uses too little drug then the patient may move, or regain consciousness. This is sometimes called “OK OK anesthesia”, because the surgeon will say “He’s moving!!” and the anesthesiologist will say “OK!!! OK!!!” 🙄
Sometimes amnesia is more important than anesthesia. If a procedure hurts but the patient has no memory of it… no harm/no foul. It’s that “tree/forest” thing. Proprofol is called “milk of amnesia” because it looks like milk and although it does nothing to control pain it is sometimes the only drug used for brief painful procedures
Hi Neil, please don’t react to an itsy-bitsy correction: NOT “tenant” but TENET, FYI. Not a smart-Alec here, a long career as a Spanish/English translator has morphed me into an intolerant vocabulary Vigilante 🤣. Re: the anesthesia information, I am among the very fortunate surgery patients to not have experienced any adverse symptoms or consequences. I have—however—awakened from surgery light as a feather and exuberant. Thank you for sharing your experience in this science platform.
Excellent! Thank you. ~Judy Cross
An informative eye opening read!!
I have had anesthesia many times. One time I was given Ketamine which I had never had before. I’m sure I was way overdosed just to set a broken wrist. I was hallucinating and my arms and legs were bouncing up and down in unison on the table as the anesthesiologist or anesthetist was holding my right arm down and telling me to relax. All of this took place as I was coming out of the anesthesia. I’ve also had trouble with a colonoscopy. Some people don’t know how to administer anesthesia to people that only need a small amount. At other times I have been awake right away and coherent. Congratulations to those that listen to the patient. Very interesting article.
This was very informative. I would say avoid surgery at all costs if possible.
Absolutely
While under general anesthesia during knee replacement surgery, I awoke to a loud banging sound. I realized that the sound was coming from the Dr’s. banging the replacement into place. I didn’t feel any pain so I said nothing. One of the surgeons saw that I was awake and asked if I was in pain. The next thing I knew, I was “coming to” in the recovery room. Also, I’m always nauseous after surgery. I even vomited on my newborn son after a caesarean section. It was my first time holding him.
Extremely informative!
I enjoyed the reading. I want to read more about any health issues.
very interested information, but i had hard time to wake up after a surgery in february…its being happened twice …im afreid..
Thank you. I’ve had 5 surgeries in the last 6 years all with a positive outcomes. I’ve had no bad reactions from any anesthesia and very positive outcomes from the physical reasons I neded surgery.
Thank you for providing this information to learn after the operations.
I loved the txt